environmental science

Based on the diagram above, which of the following processes reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Photosynthesis

This biome is characterized by long dry seasons and is dominated by grasses, shrubs, and grazing animals.

Savanna

which of the following identifies a characteristic of the atmosphere between the stratopause and the tropopause?

The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

This layer of Earth's atmosphere has the highest density of any atmospheric layer and contains most of the water vapor in the atmosphere.

Troposphere

Which soil horizon is best developed in areas with dense vegetation, such as forests and grasslands, since the horizon consists of decomposing leaves and other plant material?

A

Students want to determine the impact of soil erosion from the development of new housing. They plan to measure the density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of a river that flows through their town. The town is built in a heavily forested area, but a large area of trees along the river was recently clear-cut to allow for the construction of a new housing development, which has caused exposed soil to wash into the river. The river flows north to south through the town and is still forested both up- and downstream of the town. Which of the following would be the best control sample for the study?

A sample of water collected just downstream of the northern forest

Which soil horizon has very little organic matter and accumulates soluble metals and nutrients that are transported from other soil layers?

C

Which of the following shows the approximate concentration of CO2 , N2 , and O2 in dry air?

CO2N2O2< 1%78%21%

Which of the following is the correct order of soil particles in order of increasing size?

Clay—silt—sand

Based on the diagram above, which process most directly results in the storage of carbon as coal and oil over millions of years?

Decomposition

Which of the following is the best illustration of the tragedy of the commons?

Depletion of fishing stocks in the North Atlantic

This biome contains plants that are adapted to prevent water loss due to the low average rainfall and high temperatures year-round.

Desert

Which of the following is a biome found at 30° � and 30° � as seen in the diagram?

Deserts

Which of the following properties is most likely associated with soils that contain more sand-sized particles than soils that contain more clay-sized particles?

High permeability

Which of the following best describes a symbiotic relationship?

Intestinal bacteria inhabit the gut of humans.

Which of the following correctly characterizes one of Earth's atmospheric layers?

Layer D is the thermosphere, where auroras are found.

The most abundant element in Earth's atmosphere

Nitrogen

Which of the following properties of the soil sample most influences the flow of water through the sample?

Permeability

Five different species of warblers, seed-eating birds, live in the same species of conifer trees. All of the birds migrate to coniferous forests during the summer, and different species reside in different areas in the same tree. They feed on the seeds of the conifer trees, but the different species do not mate with each other. Which of the following best explains why the different warbler species can all have habitats in the same conifer trees?

Resource partitioning of the seeds reduces competition, and the five different species can live in the same tree.

Of the following, which has the greatest permeability?

Sand

Which of the following is the source of energy driving the circulation pattern labeled C in the diagram?

Solar radiation

In a fish species, the number of eggs that hatch and survive for one year varies depending on the number of eggs that were produced. As the number of eggs produced increases past a threshold number, the survival rate of the offspring decreases. Which of the following statements best explains why only a limited number of offspring can survive in a fish population?

The chance of survival decreases when there is intraspecific competition for resources among surviving yearlings.

Students want to determine the impact of soil erosion from the development of new housing. They plan to measure the density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of a river that flows through their town. The town is built in a heavily forested area, but a large area of trees along the river was recently clear-cut to allow for the construction of a new housing development, which has caused exposed soil to wash into the river. The river flows north to south through the town and is still forested both up- and downstream of the town. Which of the following is the dependent variable in the study?

The density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of the river

Which of the following major storage reservoirs of carbon, stored in the form of carbon dioxide, is not represented in this diagram?

The ocean

Overgrazing of public land by privately owned livestock is an example of the

tragedy of the commons

Based on the data in the diagrams, in which layer of the atmosphere would short wave radio signals be reflected?

Thermosphere

This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the fewest molecules of the layers shown, and the low density of gas leads to very few molecules transferring heat to an object. In this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes photodissociation of molecules, creating ions.

Thermosphere

This biome is warm and wet, with little seasonal variation in temperature and frequent precipitation.

Tropical rain forest

Students want to determine the impact of soil erosion from the development of new housing. They plan to measure the density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of a river that flows through their town. The town is built in a heavily forested area, but a large area of trees along the river was recently clear-cut to allow for the construction of a new housing development, which has caused exposed soil to wash into the river. The river flows north to south through the town and is still forested both up- and downstream of the town. Which of the following explains the variable that would be the best for students to measure to determine the direct impact of soil erosion caused by the construction project on the river?

Turbidity, because a decrease in water clarity would indicate an increase in soil erosion.

Which of the following causes the air to rise high into the atmosphere in the areas labeled A, B, and C on the diagram?

Warm, moist air that is less dense than the surrounding air